Despite material progress in Asia, research by International Development Research Center's (IDRC's) partners shows that gender-based violence against women is highly prevalent in Asia.

Research also shows that despite increasing numbers of women with
higher education, business and employment opportunities for women in
some sectors had fallen in several countries.

In
Focus

IDRC's Regional Director for Asia, Dr. Anindya Chatterjee said,
"Research has shown that gender equality and women's rights are
issues that are far from being realised."

IDRC's has worked with WeConnect International in connecting women
entrepreneurs to business opportunities through creation of a
database. While connecting women to business, the project has brought
to the surface the challenges they face in a society where
traditionally men have led business.

Gender-based violence Two recent projects supported by IDRC – a
series on sexual violence and the other on the state of women in
conflict-ridden areas titled Garrisoned Minds, show that women
continue to be victims of sexual violence.

Research studies on sexual violence in the South Asian region by
Zubaan, supported by IDRC, show that inadequate measures exist for
the protection of women from sexual violence while the present legal
and social systems often lend protection to perpetrators.

The research involves work by over 50 scholars in South Asia.
Analysis shows that in recent years there has been much progress at
the international level in recognizing sexual violence as a weapon of
war, an instrument of torture, and a crime against humanity. "These
volumes attempt to examine the gaps in law, medical practice, state
willingness and social sanction that work against the interests of
justice for victims and survivors of sexual violence," said
Navsharan Singh, Senior Programme Specialist, IDRC.

The project research resulted in publication of six books, while the
research evidence has contributed to reforming the laws on rape
(Criminal Law Amendment Act 2013); expanding the definition of rape;
research led to standard operating procedures and medical protocols
in forensic examinations of survivors of sexual violence.

Women entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship for women is fraught with
challenges. Kamla Pai, a woman entrepreneur who runs a factory in
Karnataka state, expresses her concern: "Men don't take women
seriously- whether they are my factory workers or suppliers. They
need to respect women," she said at a meeting of women
entrepreneurs in Bengaluru recently.

The challenges for women including setting up operations in an
environment where women are typically not seen as entrepreneurs,
dealing with logistical issues, scouting around for buyers, getting
their way around raw material supplies, and, eventually, selling
their products.

"These are typically male domains and it takes time and efforts for
women to claim this space," said Dr. Chatterjee. The entrepreneurs'
database, developed by We Connect, an international agency that
connects women-owned businesses to buyers around the world, has
around 600 women from India on the list.

"We can already see the results of this initiative – more than
4,000 persons are employed by these 600 women who have done business
worth USD 127 million, which is impressive," said Arjan de Haan,
Program Leader, Employment and Growth, IDRC.